Articles tagged with: Advocacy

Incident Response was created to provide assistance to individuals and groups within the alternative sexual expression communities. If you engage in SM/fetish, swing or polyamory and are being persecuted or discriminated against the NCSF may be able to help you. If your group or business is being harassed or if you need help doing outreach to local law enforcement, the NCSF may also be able to assist you.

The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF)’s Incident Response (IR) Program uses three primary criteria for taking a case:

1. The issue must openly, directly, and specifically relate to BDSM, swing or poly activities between consenting adults; in other words, the problems you face must relate to or be caused from your involvement in BDSM, swing or poly without question.

2. The issue must be one whose outcome or precedent could potentially affect a significant number of people with the same, or similar, problem.

3. The incident needs to have a reasonable chance of a successful resolution; usually indicating that the individual filing has not also been found guilty of a crime other than behaviors currently considered illegal relating to BDSM, swing or poly.

Unfortunately, due to limited resources the NCSF is only able to take a fraction of the cases that come to us.

Many of the complaints we receive do not meet one, or several, of the above criteria. Even under the best circumstances, NCSF can only help a small percentage of those who approach us. All of our work is done by volunteers and we accept no payment for our services, but we are happy to receive donations earmarked specifically for use in the IR Program-- make sure you note "Incident Response" in the comment box if you want to restrict your donation. We do provide basic information as resources allow and refer to professionals in our Kink Aware Professionals database.

The criteria for acceptance was developed to meet the primary concerns of our voting constituencies, our Coalition Partners. When the NCSF agrees to take a case the impact can be realized by all of our constituents as a whole and therefore it is up to the policies set in motion by NCSF Coalition Partners to decide whether existing resources allow for a case to be handled effectively.

IR Page: http://tinyurl.com/IncidentResponse

IR overview: http://tinyurl.com/IROverview

Incident Response was created toprovide assistance to individuals and groups within the alternative sexual expression communities. If you engage in SM/fetish, swing or polyamory and are being persecuted or discriminated against the NCSF may be able to help you. If your group or business is being harassed or if you need help doing outreach to local law enforcement, the NCSF may also be able to assist you.

The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF)’s Incident Response (IR) Program uses three primarycriteria for taking a case:

1. The issue must openly, directly, and specifically relate to BDSM, swing or poly activities between consenting adults; in other words, the problems you face must relate to or be caused from your involvement in BDSM, swing or poly without question.

2. The issue must be one whose outcome or precedent could potentially affect a significant number of people with the same, or similar, problem.

3. The incident needs to have a reasonable chance of a successful resolution; usually indicating that the individual filing has not also been found guilty of a crime other than behaviors currently considered illegal relating to BDSM, swing or poly.

Unfortunately, due to limited resources the NCSF is only able to take a fraction of the cases that come to us.

Many of the complaints we receive do not meet one, or several, of the above criteria. Even under the best circumstances, NCSF can only help a small percentage of those who approach us. All of our work is done by volunteers and we accept no payment for our services, but we are happy toreceive donations earmarked specifically for use in the IR Program-- make sure you note "Incident Response" in the comment box if you want to restrict your donation. We do provide basic information as resources allow and refer to professionals in our Kink AwareProfessionals database.

The criteria for acceptance wasdeveloped to meet the primary concerns of our voting constituencies, ourCoalition Partners. When the NCSF agrees to take a case the impact can be realized by all of our constituents as a whole and therefore it is up to thepolicies set in motion by NCSFCoalition Partners to decide whether existing resources allow for a case to be handled effectively.

This Quarter's Newsletter was the most fun to write. It features several different community perspectives, inclduing an article by Catalina Loves, talking about how the NCSF helped her in a critical moment in her life; a youth group in Baltimore that serves to help newcomers find their second skin, Tabu Social Club a success story for the NCSF Incident Response Program and a lively swing community space, and the new changes the NCSF is facing to better serve you resultant from our first ever joint board retreat. This issue is indicative of the new communications you should expect to see from the NCSF, highlighting not just the critical threats facing us, but the joy our community has and the beauty we aim to share with the world--and now with color pictures and more content!

I hope you enjoy, and don't forget that now your stories, your opinions and your writing can be featured in the NCSF blog and newsletter so submit yours to:
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The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom is a national organization committed to creating a political, legal, and social environment in the United States that advances equal rights of consenting adults who practice forms of alternative sexual expression. NCSF is primarily focused on the rights of consenting adults in the SM-leather-fetish, swing, and polyamory communities, who often face discrimination because of their sexual expression.

History of the NCSF: Hard at Work to Defend Your Rights

The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF) was formed in 1997 by a small group led by Susan Wright under the auspices of the New York SM Activists. The goal was to fight for sexual freedom and privacy rights for all adults who engage in safe, sane and consensual behavior.

The first five organizations who joined reflected our desire to be a nationwide organization: the National Leather Association—International, Gay Male S/M Activists, The Eulenspiegel Society, Black Rose and Society of Janus. Today, NCSF has over 50 Coalition Partners who elect the board that runs NCSF, and establish our goals at the annual Coalition Partner meeting. Coalition Partners are groups and businesses who serve BDSM, swing and polyamory practitioners and also support NCSF by holding an annual fundraiser. NCSF also has over 100 Supporting Members – groups and businesses that support NCSF.

Over the years, NCSF has formed alliances with other organizations that defend sexual freedom rights: Free Speech Coalition, the ACLU, American Association of Sex Educators Councilors and Therapists, Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the Gay and Lesbian Activist Alliance, among others.

Early Successes for NCSF

The 1998 Violence & Discrimination survey revealed the extent of discrimination and persecution that exists against the SM-leather-fetish communities. NCSF found that 36% of SM practitioners have been victims of harassment and that 30% have been victims of discrimination. This discrimination resulted in 24% losing a job or a contract, 17% losing a promotion and 3% losing custody of a child. This survey helped NCSF gear our energies towards issues that matter most to our constituents.

NCSF also lent assistance to the local communities in San Diego and Baltimore, to help to stop the selective enforcement of zoning and public indecency laws against the SM-Leather-Fetish communities. Next, NCSF assisted the local communities in Attleboro MA and Washington DC as those cities faced the same selective enforcement that had been attempted in Baltimore and San Diego. NCSF continues to work with State Attorney Generals and local District Attorneys to help educate these authorities about SM, swing and polyamory practices to prevent dangerous precidents from being set against adult consensual sexuality.

NCSF and the Media

As an advocacy organization, one of NCSF's strategies has been to educate the media about issues facing the SM-Leather-Fetish, swing and polyamory communities. You can help by signing up for NCSF's media updates list
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. This weekly email will alert you to stories about alternative sexual expression in the news, and will give you contact information so that you can respond to an editor to let them know if you liked or disliked an article and why. We also give you tips on how to write a letter. Even if your letter is not printed, these letters influence how editorial decisions are made in the future.

NCSF's Media Outreach Program has developed a package of materials that provide information about NCSF and the communities we represent. This program provides education and training to groups and individuals on how to effectively interact with the media.

One example of NCSF's advocacy efforts took place in the Attleboro MA coverage in July, 2000. In the first media reports regarding the Attleboro arrests, the incident was characterized as a "sex club" raid. Within 48 hours, a coordinated effort led by NCSF and the local community to educate the media resulted in a major change in the characterization of the arrests. The tone of the coverage went from defending the actions of the law enforcement officers to questioning their judgment and several reporters raised legitimate questions about possible civil rights violations.

From February to May 2002, five SM conventions were targeted by Concerned Women for America, American Family Association, and the American Decency Association. NCSF worked with each event to counter sensationalized attacks in the media as well as resisting action by local authorities who attempted to shut down some of these SM conferences. The attacks took place in the midwest against My Vicious Valentine and International Mr. Leather in Chicago, Bound by Desire in Michigan, Tribal Fire in Oklahoma, and Beat Me in St. Louis in Missouri.

NCSF's Incident Response Program: Helping you...

In 2006, over distinct inquiries were made between NCSF and individuals, groups, attorneys, prosecutors, and businesses who requested assistance. Each incident sometimes required only one or two phone calls, but many evolved into much larger projects.

14.5% were related to SM/leather/fetish group issues

13.5% were regarding child custody/divorce issues

13% were requests regarding SM/abuse/domestic violence issues

10.5% were regarding zoning issues

9% were classed as non-employment discrimination

8% were related to swing community issues

8% were regarding online obscenity issues

7% were regarding employment discrimination

6% were regarding criminal complaint issues

5.5% were in reference to child protective services’ complaints

5% were classed as “other”

Of the inquires, 73.5% were driven by SM/leather/fetish issues, 15% by swing, 7% by poly, 4.5% by other.

Education Strategies

Early in 2000, NCSF launched its Education Outreach Program (EOP). This program is designed to educate law enforcement officials about our communities, and educate members of our community regarding the risks of selective enforcement and how to minimize the risk of becoming a target. NCSF has published a number of pieces of literature for this program and has assembled and trained a team of individuals from across the country to deliver the educational presentations developed by the NCSF-EOP. New presentations are always being developed by the EOP team.

We Need You!

In the past decade, alternative sexual expression has become much more visible to the general public. As we continue to move into the streets of mainstream America, we face an increasing number of attacks against our right to freedom of sexual expression. While the battles that NCSF has waged have been successful, our resources are depleted. NCSF will continue to defend against these attacks, but the success of that fight depends on your support. You can provide that support by becoming an individual member of NCSF, volunteering to join the NCSF staff, making a donation to NCSF, or encouraging your group to become a Coalition Partner of NCSF.

There are many ways to volunteer to help NCSF. You do not have to be "out" to help. Tell others about NCSF or distribute our literature. Initiate or help out at a fund-raiser with NCSF as a beneficiary. Check out the rest of this website and you'll find everything from Calls to Action to our Incident Response program. Every step you take helps us further the sexual freedom movement!